After attending a spirted and colorful independence day parade, Mattis met with President Petro Poroshenko and other top Ukraine leaders

Published at 8:00 AM EDT on Aug 24, 2017

Receive the latest politics updates in your inbox

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, center, attends a military parade to celebrate independence day in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The Ukraine officially declared itself independent from the Soviet Union on April 24, 1991.

On the 26th anniversary of Ukraine's independence from Moscow, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused Russia of menacing Europe and suggested that he favors providing Ukraine with defensive lethal weapons.

Mattis also said the Trump administration will not accept Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

After attending a spirted and colorful independence day parade, Mattis met with President Petro Poroshenko and other top government leaders. He is the first Pentagon chief to visit the former Soviet republic since Robert Gates in 2007.

"Have no doubt," Mattis said at a news conference with Poroshenko. "The United States stands with Ukraine." He said Washington does not, "and we will not," accept Russia's annexation of Crimea, a 2014 action that was followed by Russian military intervention in support of separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Trump: Russia Must Stop Destabilizing Actions in Ukraine

President Donald Trump on July 6 called on Russia to stop its destabilizing activities in Ukraine. He also called on Moscow to end its support for "hostile regimes." Trump specifically called out Syria and Iran. Trump instead urged Russia to join the "community of responsible nations" in its fight against common enemies and the defense of civilization.

(Published Thursday, July 6, 2017)

"Despite Russia's denials, we know they are seeking to redraw international borders by force," Mattis said, an ambition by Moscow that the secretary said is undermining sovereign European nations and stirring tension.

Asked by a reporter whether he agrees with the Obama administration's view that selling defensive lethal weapons to Ukraine would provoke Moscow, Mattis replied, "Defensive weapons are not provocative unless you're an aggressor."

Mattis declined to say explicitly what he would recommend to the White House on the weapons issue. He did not say so, but it is known that the Pentagon and the State Department have recommended going ahead with defensive weapons transfers to Ukraine.

Poroshenko sidestepped the question of how soon he expects a White House decision on arms.

In his remarks, Mattis cited agreements and commitments that Moscow has made since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, including a two-year-old accord known as the Minsk Agreement, which lays out a roadmap for reducing the conflict in Ukraine that has claimed some 10,000 lives over the past three years. He also cited other Russian commitments to Ukraine dating to 1994.

"Unfortunately, Russia is not adhering to the letter, much less the spirit of these international commitments," he said.

Trump Thanks Putin for Kicking US Diplomats Out of Russia

President Donald Trump said Thursday he would "thank" Russian President Vladimir Putin for ousting U.S. diplomats from Russia, saying he was "thankful" for reducing the federal government's payroll. The ouster followed U.S. imposing sanctions on Russia in response to Kremlin interference in the 2016 presidential election. It was not clear how Putin's retaliatory expulsion might reduce the payroll of the U.S. government.

(Published Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017)

It has been known for weeks that the Trump administration has reopened consideration of long-rejected plans to give Ukraine lethal weapons.

Those deliberations put pressure on President Donald Trump, who is fighting perceptions he is soft on Moscow amid investigations into whether his campaign colluded with the Kremlin to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

In his remarks alongside Poroshenko, Mattis said the U.S. is committed to helping Ukraine build and modernize its armed forces.

Sen. John McCain, a vocal critic of President Barack Obama's cautious approach to assisting the Ukrainian army, said Wednesday that Trump should change that course.

"It is long past time for the United States to provide Ukraine the defensive lethal assistance it needs to deter and defend against further Russian aggression," McCain said in a statement.

Raising the cost of aggression may help to change Vladimir Putin's calculus, pressure Russia to fully comply with the Minsk agreements, and, ultimately, create more stable security conditions on the ground that are essential for peace."

Parkland Shooting Survivor Calls 'BS' on Politicians' Gun Stance

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Sophomore Emma Gonzales had a message for president Donald Trump and for other politicians on their failure to enact sensible gun laws: "BS." Gonzales was one of several survivors to speak at a rally held outside the Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to speak out against the gun lobby.